MORE and more people are turning their backs on doctors and opting to diagnose themselves at home, new research shows.

MORE and more people are turning their backs on doctors and opting to diagnose themselves at home, new research shows.

Sales of blood pressure monitors, blood glucose testers and pregnancy kits have rocketed in recent years and are expected to increase in the future, according to a report by market analysts Mintel.

They said that, in 2002, almost &#xA3;54.3m was spent on self-diagnostic products, compared to &#xA3;41.2m five years ago - a 32% growth since 1998.

Mintel predicted that the market would grow further, rising to well over &#xA3;60m by 2007.

Long waits to see a GP and an increasingly health-conscious population are among the factors thought to contribute to the booming sales.

According to Mintel, almost six in 10 Britons have at least one self-diagnostic product at home, with the simple thermometer the most popular (43%).

One in seven adults (14%) said they had three or more products at home, with the urine sugar monitor for diabetes owned by 68% of this group.

This was followed by tests to measure pulse (63%), blood pressure (57%) and blood sugar levels for diabetes (53%).

Those most likely to own three or more self-diagnostic products were aged 25-34, with more than one in four of adults in this group doing so.

Consumer analyst Jenny Catlin said, "These days many people are much more aware of their health and often want to try to prevent illnesses before they start, rather than taking medicine once the illness has kicked in.

"They also realise that spotting symptoms early on can really improve the chances of remaining healthy.

"Additionally, waiting lists mean that it is not always convenient to get to the doctor, which means that more people are choosing to go it alone."

Ms Catlin said although health difficulties such as heart problems tended to occur from late middle age, it was still younger people who used a greater variety of self-diagnostic products.

"This is likely to be because older people often prefer to have reassurance from the professionals, while the younger adults prefer to be self-standing when it comes to medical advice," she added.

Research has shown that over 80% of adults have to be "really ill" before they go to the doctors.

Almost half (47%) claimed to "really look after their health", but fewer than one in five (17%) went to their doctor for regular check-ups.

An increase in acute and chronic conditions has also contributed to the growth of the self-diagnostics market.

Blood glucose monitors, which measure the sugar levels in the blood have seen the highest growth rates in the past five years, with sales increasing by 65%.

A total of 1,003 adults around the UK were questioned for the Mintel survey.